b'otherpersonreallyunderstandsorcares o MS and turns your attention to where theyabout what youre going through.need your help in addressing the challengesItseasiertojustsweepuncertainties theyre facing.under the rug and cram the clutter into the Take time to nurture your relationshipscloset. Out of sight out of mind, right? But The best way to x a fractured relationshipthat only works for a moment. You cant clean is to keep it from breaking. Communicationup a relationship until you both acknowledge is key, but putting the words into practiceits a mess.shows your partner, father, mother, brother,This is why honest communication is key sister, friend, and anybody else youre in aevery day in every relationship (meaning: dont relationship with that you heard them andwait for your spring cleaning to communicate). are invested in helping your relationship toIf its not working, you need to be honest with grow.Atthecore,thisiswhatnurturingeach other about your needs and expectations, means.both as individuals and in your relationship. So, when JennifercomeshomefromAfter all, few if any of us are mind readers. grocery shopping and surprises Dan with aFor example, Jennifer has had to talk with bag of gummi bears (one of his favorites) orseveral of her caregivers throughout the years when Dan takes a moment out of his busybecause it upsets her when they are too quick workday to help Jennifer transfer into herto jump in and do things for her without giving standing frame, it shows the other person weher the chance to try rst. It can be challenging care about and are thinking of each other. Orfor them to watch her struggle with activities whenwearealwayswillingtodogsitforsuch as folding a washcloth or lifting a spoon friendswhentheygooutoftownfortheup to her mouth, but they need to know how weekend or when Jennifer sends Dans momimportant it is for her to maintain her a book she would enjoy reading, these actsindependence.help to solidify our relationships.Being honest doesnt equate to being hurtful, Think about it: In order for a plant to ourish,and its totally possible to be constructive rather it needs a lot of attention. Its essential to waterthan destructive. Remember: whoever youre it each day, make sure it gets enough sunlighttrying to x a relationship with, you both are and pull up any unwanted weeds. Withouttrying to do the best job you can. But it helps this persistent attention to details, the plantwhen you both are doing the best you can will become dry, shrivel up and no longer thrive.for each other rather than focusing on your Similarly, nurturing your relationships willindividual needs. This is a joint relationship, help to ensure they stay strong and ourish.not two solo endeavors.Its also important to not let your MS control Know when to cut your lossesyour relationships. Yes, its a big deal, and and move onyes, it consumes a lot of your thoughts. But Strong relationships take a lot of work, butremember, thinking of the other people in not every fractured relationship can beyour relationships keeps the complete focus repaired. Many times, this is shown when the17 msfocusmagazine.org'